In the winter of the fifth year of Shunji in the Qing Dynasty (1663), Emperor Shunji worried all the banner owners and discussed important matters in the camp near the Suwen River in the original Ming Dynasty.
In the past two years, the situation between the enemy and ourselves has changed on the battlefield, and the Qing Dynasty has become increasingly passive.
Although the Man Ming troops did not take much advantage, they still caused a loss of about 70,000 to 80,000 yuan to the Qing army.
Since each banner leader cherished and used the elites under his command, the Eight Banners soldiers only lost less than 5,000 soldiers, which can be regarded as some comfort to Shunji.
But what annoyed him was that the Kimchi people who had plundered from the peninsula and the Menggu people who tried to have both sides started to surrender in large numbers when faced with the attack of the barbarian troops.
This is a very bad sign. Once there is a precedent, if things go on like this, the collapse of the levee may not be far away.
At first, there were more than a thousand people, and later there were tens of thousands. If they were not stopped, tens of thousands of people would beg for surrender. It is obvious that the prestige of the Qing Dynasty was completely gone, and it would also affect its strength.
That's why Shunji wants to summon his ministers to discuss a solution. Whether it's a good idea or a bad idea, he has to come up with an idea first.
"Let's talk about it, but it doesn't hurt!"
"..."
"Uncle Fourteen is very resourceful and he is the think tank of my great Qing Dynasty. Is there any clever plan?"
"Your Majesty, I do have a plan, but..."
"Uncle Fourteen doesn't need to look forward or backward. I can consider any strategy to help the Qing Dynasty take care of its worries!"
"Your Majesty, now the Man Ming has sent millions of troops to the north to invade the Qing Dynasty every year. Their skills in chariots, artillery, and muskets have all surpassed that of the Qing Dynasty. Not to mention the superior craftsmanship, the number of equipment is in the trillions. Although the king's division is still very brave, it often fails to succeed in the face of the well-equipped barbarian Ming troops. Even if it ambushes the enemy, it cannot gain the upper hand, and at most it can achieve the result of losing both sides. The barbarian army, regardless of population, national strength, The military equipment of the Qing Dynasty has surpassed that of the Qing Dynasty in many aspects. As time goes by, the gap in strength between the two countries will become even greater, as is the performance on the battlefield. Those who surrendered to the Ming Dynasty felt that the Qing Dynasty had no hope of victory, so they defected to the Qing Dynasty in order to survive. Today's Great Qing Dynasty The territory of the Qing Dynasty is larger than before, but the strategic situation has become increasingly passive. Although the population is close to ten million, it is divided into vast fertile lands. Facing the barbarian offensive, it is difficult to manage various places. If they are concentrated, farming will be impossible. I think it is necessary to prepare for a rainy day. Imitate the Yelu Dashi..."
"Uncle Fourteenth, are you talking about escaping west?"
Before Dorgon could finish speaking, Haug jumped out and asked. This was an approach he absolutely could not accept.
"Western Expedition!"
Dorgon corrected the inappropriate word so as not to irritate everyone in the tent.
"Hmph! What's the difference? This is the place where our ancestors have lived in the Qing Dynasty. Generations of our ancestors have lived here. If we hand it over to Man Ming, wouldn't we be doing a disservice to our ancestors? What will the fourteenth uncle look like in a hundred years? Going to meet our ancestors? Since we, the great and healthy sons of the Qing Dynasty, were born here, we must die here!"
Hauge waited for so many years, and finally waited until Dorgon showed his flaws. After saying these righteous words, he felt much better.
"If we don't leave, the Qing Dynasty will fall!"
"Uncle Fourteenth's words are clearly alarmist!"
"According to your judgment, if they don't leave, how much more can the Qing Dynasty sustain in the face of the Man Ming offensive?"
"...Naturally tens of thousands of years!"
"Hmph!"
Hauge made big words, and Dorgon snorted coldly and stopped talking.
Everyone didn't listen to Hauge's big words at all, they were all thinking about the questions Dorgon raised.
How much more can the Qing Dynasty support?
For everyone in the account, this is a fatal problem.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t answer the question, as long as you follow the right person.
Otherwise, it would be a dead end.
Dorgon is so smart, there must be no room for change in things he is not optimistic about.
Everyone still didn't express their opinions. It didn't matter if they offended Hauge, he was just a reckless man who had no brains from beginning to end.
The key lies in what the emperor thinks. If the emperor disagrees with Prince Rui's proposal, then the previous words will be in vain.
"Uncle Fourteen might as well tell you everything he thinks, and I can weigh the pros and cons. If the king's army marches westward, where will it go? How much time will it take? How much food and troops will be consumed?"
Seeing that the crowd still didn't dare to express their opinions, Shunji spoke directly because he was also very uneasy in his heart.
As the barbarians and horses continue to attack the north, the depth of each attack will be further north than before.
Wang Shi could block it once, twice, three times and five times. What if Man Ming launched more northern offenses?
Shunji had a hunch that sooner or later the Wangshi defense line would be pushed to the Blackwater front line.
Doesn't it mean that the Qing Dynasty's territory will be on the north bank of Blackwater?
If you go further north, you will definitely be bordering the Manming Kingdom over there.
The Man Ming vassal state is not something to be afraid of, and it can be destroyed by dispatching more than ten thousand warriors.
But what happens after that?
Continue to be invaded by the barbarian army?
"Your Majesty, I think that the west of the Tianshan Mountains is the place where the Qing Dynasty will rise again. The water and grass there are fertile and the climate is similar to that of Liaodong. Thousands of miles of desert are separated from the western part of the Ming Dynasty, which is a natural barrier. In particular, this place is rich in sweat-blooded horses. If If the king's cavalry can get this horse, and cooperate with artillery and chariots, they will be invincible. I heard that Li Zicheng and Chai Shihuajun, who had previously rebelled in Manming territory, led their troops to settle here and have been operating for many years. I think this place must be a pleasant place. If we, the Qing Dynasty, can get this place, why would we be unhappy? I have calculated before that the Western Expedition will take about eighteen months, and each person must carry three dan of food. If you can save some food, two dan will do. Set off. If we can’t catch up with Man Ming’s pursuers quickly, we won’t lose too many soldiers and horses.”
Dorgon felt that it was no longer suitable to stay here for a long time, and it would be best to leave as soon as possible.
If we stay here for one more year, tens of thousands of Qing warriors will die. At most, these troops will be lost during the entire Western Expedition.
Dorgon meant the two white flags, and it was impossible for Azig and Dodo to oppose Dorgon's proposal.
Of course, there were also people who had the foresight and were about to escape the control of the Qing Dynasty at this time, such as those led by King Yongshun.
Wu Sangui, with his soldiers, horses and people, is currently camping at Yuerhai (Qingshuibo).
Further west was the former sphere of influence of the Tatars, and now it is also the territory of the Khalkha tribe.
Wu Sangui did not come to the Ming Dynasty, but it seemed that he did not intend to fight for the Qing Dynasty. This was the idea in the later period of Huang Taiji.
Now King Sanshun and Duke Xushun Shen Zhixiang both have similar ideas, but they are not as obvious as Wu Sangui.
It's obvious that they can't be defeated, but they continue to fight against Mingming's millions of troops. That's not brave, that's stupid!
Dorgon's plan is to take this opportunity to take away all those who are obedient and disobedient, with the exception of Hauge...
When you arrive in the Western Region, you can do whatever you want.
Even if he continues to be dragged out to live alone, isn't it just opening up territory for the Qing Dynasty? There is nothing wrong with it.
When we get there, the sky is high and the sky is bright and far away, so we can flex our muscles and attack from all directions without worrying about the bright and bright coming.
The current situation is that unless all the dead Eight Banners soldiers can be resurrected, a good way to restrain the brutal firearms can be found.
Otherwise, the results faced by the Qing Dynasty were foreseeable, and anyone could guess it, but they just didn't dare to say it.
Shunji nodded after hearing this, but did not express his attitude on the spot. He could only announce that we would discuss it later.
Except for Hauge who was very unhappy, everyone was mentally prepared accordingly.
Because if you don't move to the west, you can't defeat Mingming's million-strong army if you stay here!
At least there is a glimmer of hope for the Western Expedition. If you stay where you are, you are really waiting for death.
A reckless man will be a reckless man after all, Hauge knows nothing!
On New Year's Eve, Shunji agreed to Dorgon's plan for the Western Expedition at the banquet.
Instead of sitting around and waiting to die, it is better to take the initiative to survive.
It was decreed that after the beginning of spring, all banners and departments must gather all soldiers, horses and people, take away all livestock, poultry, grain and property, and set off for the first foothold.
Take away whatever you can, and burn whatever you can't take away. In short, you can't leave it to the barbarians.
The foothold was the fishing sea where Wu Sangui was, which meant that Shunji led his troops to defect to Wu Sangui...
Originally, we wanted to launch the Western Expedition after the autumn harvest in the fifth year of Shunji, but considering that the Ming Dynasty troops would invade the north in large numbers in the spring.
By then, hundreds of thousands more people would have surrendered, and tens of thousands of soldiers and horses would have been lost. Shunji would have no choice but to launch the Western Expedition in advance.
From Yuerhai to the west, you will pass through the Yinma River, Tula River, Tamir River, Zabhan River and other rivers. It is the area with the densest concentration of rivers in the grassland area.
This was Dorgon's specially selected marching route, which could replenish water for the army at any time. As long as he brought enough food, he could cross the grassland.
The ultimate goal is the Jinshan area (Altai Mountains). Once there, depending on the specific situation, continue westward or choose to go south to the Tianshan area.
Hauge was not confused at the moment. Everyone was packing their bags. If he led his troops to stay, he was really seeking death.
If the dog prince...the dog emperor catches him, he will have to be delayed!
Shuo Tuo had surrendered on his own initiative, but Hao Ge thought he couldn't compare with others.
That is a scum of the Qing Dynasty, who can actually live in the world with peace of mind.
Previously, I had read the scum's nonsense from the seized newspapers, claiming that after the death of his father Daishan, he was the number one heir to the two red flags.
If the Ming army can destroy the Qing Dynasty in the future, he will come over and inherit all the slaves, money and belongings of the two red flags!
How shameless! I never thought there were such shameless people in the world!
Of course Mandahai and other brothers were indignant about this, and they were determined not to give up the two red flags to this scum who worked for the barbarian.
It's okay now, everyone worked together to pack up the two red flags and take them away, and Shuotuo couldn't even catch a hair!
Just leaving home is very hard to let go.
The journey to the west is long and the future is uncertain, which makes everyone feel confused and frightened.
Fortunately, there are so many people to accompany me on the road. Even if I die halfway, I will have someone to support me...
Don't take it seriously, this is what everyone is saying.
Otherwise, how many people would dare to travel thousands of miles to live the rest of their lives in another place?
When Yelu Dashi ran away, he was defeated by the Jin army and was unable to do anything. Daliao had already perished.
Now that the Qing Dynasty's army has launched an expedition to the west, it is a strategic shift in the 28th classic, and they will make a comeback in the Western Regions!
Shunji has the capital to say this. The total number of troops reported by various banners and ministries is nearly 370,000, the number of civilians is about 4.95 million, there are millions of livestock except war horses, and nearly 10 million poultry. Only.
The food he carried amounted to more than 12 million dan. If nothing unexpected happened, if he saved some food, it should be enough to reach the Jinshan area and set up camp.
In order to bring more food, Shunji ordered all banners and ministries, except for necessary cavalry and horses dragging artillery, ammunition, and equipment, to mount vehicles on vehicles to transport supplies.
Each person also needs to carry at least twenty kilograms of grain to reduce the burden on the carriage, because the horses also need to carry the grain and grass they need.
Since a large number of coated slaves have little property, they can be used as laborers to transport materials.
In the past two years, it was impossible to farm, let alone harvest, so Shunji ordered a large number of cavalry to hunt along the way to replenish supplies and reduce food consumption.
After arriving at the fishing sea, you can fish on a large scale, and the parts that cannot be eaten can be dried into dried fish and taken away.
"Your Majesty, I'm late to greet you..."
When Wu Sangui heard about the Qing's Western Expedition at first, he was doubtful, but the emperor's chariots arrived and he hurriedly went out sixty miles away to pick them up.
"My dear, there is no need to do this. Please forgive me as soon as possible!"
Shunji didn't care at all. At least they came all the way to pick him up, so at least there was no hint of any backlash.
This time he not only wanted to defect to Wu Sangui, but also took away King Yongshun and his troops.
Wu Sangui has 30,000 elite men under his command. Since he has not fought in these years, his strength cannot be underestimated.
In order to make the king with a different surname obey his arrangements, Shunji also acted like a polite corporal.
The cautious Wu Sangui was flattered, and the emperor and his ministers even had a long talk alone.
Five days later, Wu Sangui, who had no way out, "happily" agreed to accompany him on the expedition to the Western Regions.
Because we were already desperate and surrounded by soldiers and horses of Shunji, if our troops made any slight movement, we would be afraid of being surrounded.
Since Emperor Haojing has rejected his application anyway, and now this is the situation, Wu Sangui can only choose to follow the good path.
Fortunately, our troops have not been fighting in recent years, and have been in the stage of self-cultivation. They have enough food to eat, and they can also fish and hunt in the surrounding area, so their life is pretty decent.
Wu Sangui wanted to continue living this leisurely life, but the situation did not allow it. This may be fate.
Shunji also understood the righteousness well and had already said that he did not need to let King Yongshun lead the way or stay behind, he just had to follow.
The actual purpose is to sandwich the troops in the middle of the team to prevent them from escaping halfway...
All tribes on the grassland who are willing to follow the Qing army in the westward expedition can receive corresponding daily necessities.
If someone is unwilling to leave, Dorgon will send someone to "help" him become willing...
In short, wherever Master Wang went, in addition to pastures and rivers, he also had to take away tribal tents, let alone cattle and horses.
All the Khalkha tribes on the march route expressed dissatisfaction, but they could not withstand the pressure of hundreds of thousands of Qing troops.
Although there are many cavalry from the Menggu tribe here, they have to follow the crowd at this time, unless they make up their minds and go south to join the Ming Dynasty.
Unlike Lin Dan Khan's Western Expedition, the weather in Shunji was good this time, and it rarely rained continuously.
To everyone, this was a good sign.
If such weather can be maintained, we can reach our destination smoothly.
